


Leggo my Stego

by kyrdwyn



Series: Family Rules [5]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Charge, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:18:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3503117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyrdwyn/pseuds/kyrdwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All the secrets come out when the team is late getting back from a dig, and new rules are started.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leggo my Stego

**Author's Note:**

> Still all SchizoCherri's fault for feeding the bunnies and encouraging the title. Final main story in this 'verse, but I don't rule out side stories at some point.

Of course, Shelby thought, her first chance to go on a dig with the museum would be interrupted by Wrench and a herd of Vivix.  And _of course_ the dig was under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Oliver, visiting paleontologist who just happened to also be a former power ranger.  And a former teammate of her parents.

At least, Shelby thought as she kicked a Vivix in the chest, sending it flying, Dr. Oliver could still fight and hold his own.  Even if it had been ten years since he'd been an active ranger.

Another horde of Vivix appeared, and she heard Chase swear under his breath.  It was just the team, Miss Morgan, and Dr. Oliver at the site in the woods, so no one else to worry about.  Shelby made the call, since no one else knew about Dr. Oliver.  "Tyler," she yelled.  "Call it!"

"What?" He asked, ducking under a punch.

"Rule 5, Dr. Oliver is part of it.  Call the morph!"  She grabbed her dino charger out of her pocket, noting the others were doing the same.  Dr. Oliver had looked at her, but he was busy protecting Miss Morgan, who was holding her own with a shovel.  She hadn't protested them getting their chargers out.

"Ready!" Tyler called out.

"Ready!" they all replied, holding out their chargers.  "Energize!" The morphing sequence was fast, no time to be elaborate when they had Vivix to fight and Wrench to stop.  Once they were in ranger form, the fight went a lot faster, in their favor.

"There it is!" Wrench cried.  "The Energem!"

Shelby glanced over, seeing the gem on the ground near Dr. Oliver's feet.  She kicked the Vivix in front of her out of her way and dove for the gem, grabbing it a second before Dr. Oliver did, and well before Wrench.  "Stay behind me," she ordered Dr. Oliver, hiding the gem away in her communicator as she stood between Wrench and the former ranger.

"Give me that gem!" Wrench ordered.

"Not a chance," Shelby said, blocking the punch he threw her way.  Koda dove into the fight as well.  Wrench grabbed him and held him up by the throat.

"Hey! Leggo my Stego!" Shelby yelled, slashing at Wrench with her Dino Saber, forcing him to let go of Koda. After that, Wrench and his Vivix quickly retreated.  The team stayed morphed until they were sure the area was clear.

"The Energem," Miss Morgan said, holding the box Shelby's father had developed that would hide it from Sledge's sensors.  Shelby quickly handed the gray looking gem over to the other woman, who locked it away in the box.

"What is that?" Dr. Oliver asked.

"An Energem," Miss Morgan replied as the rest of the team came over to guard her.  "A power source that, if it fell into the wrong hands, could be disastrous for the planet.  I trust we can count on your discretion about the gem and the identity of the team, Dr. Oliver."

"Not without knowing what Rule 5 is and how I'm a part of it," he replied, looking directly at Shelby.  She looked over at Miss Morgan, who nodded.

"My parents are former Power Rangers, like you, Dr. Oliver.  Rule 5 is to never reveal their identities, but my team knows."

"So you outed me as a ranger."  Dr. Oliver looked angry.

"To let my team know it was safe to morph in front of you," she replied.  "Otherwise, we never would have, and Wrench would have gotten the Energem."

Dr. Oliver ran a hand through his hair.  "And that would be bad, right.  Okay.  I guess I understand.  But I'd like some more explanation, if possible."

"Back at the lab," Miss Morgan said.  "I want to get this locked away."

"Guess the dig is over, huh?" Dr. Oliver asked.

"We got what I was looking for," Miss Morgan admitted.  "But we'll mark the spot and come back later for the rest of the Pachycephalosaurus, especially as it's rare for this area."

"Heck of a find, especially for your first time dig assistants," Dr. Oliver said, looking at the team.  Shelby grinned under her helmet before demorphing with the rest of the team.

Chase turned to her.  "Leggo my Stego?"

Shelby shrugged.  "It fit," she said as they headed over to pack up equipment.

Dr. Oliver followed them.  "Your parents were rangers?"

"Yep," she replied, handing items to Chase.

"Who?"

"Can't tell you that without their permission, sorry."

"What about team or color at least?"

"No can do," Shelby said cheerfully.  "Not worth my parents' anger to tell someone they hadn't approved of me telling beforehand."

Tyler walked up to them, stacking a crate on top of one of theirs.  Dr. Oliver looked at him.  "Wait a second, you were that server we had, who said the T-Rex wasn't his favorite dinosaur."

"Yep," Tyler replied.

"We thought you were ranger groupies, mate, so we figured we'd have a little fun," Chase said.

"And I do like velociraptors," Tyler said.  "But Riley did get the green Energem before I got the red, so... he took the velociraptor and I got the T-Rex."

"Like you're complaining, Rexie," Riley said as he stacked a crate onto the truck.

"Not at all, Raptor," Tyler replied.

Koda picked up the remaining stacked crates and put them on the truck.  "We go now?" he asked.

"Site's clear," Miss Morgan replied.  "Let's head back before it gets too late."

"Or something else goes wrong," Dr. Oliver muttered.

Shelby whipped around and glared at him.  "I am blaming you," she said.  "God, mom was so right about you."

"Blaming me for what?" Dr. Oliver asked as Shelby climbed into the truck.

"You'll see."

* * *

As they pulled into the parking lot of the museum at one thirty in the morning, Shelby glared at Dr. Oliver.  "That.  Everything that just happened, I am blaming you for."

"I didn't do it."

"Yes, you did," four of the Dino Charge rangers chorused as the truck came to a stop.  Koda had his head on Chase's shoulder, napping after holding the truck up for an hour while Chase, Tyler, and Dr. Oliver had fought over the best way to change the blown out tire. That was after they'd gone the wrong way for an hour and then had to backtrack. Plus, unloading the entire truck to get to the spare tire had taken an hour, and then they spend another hour and a half loading everything back onto the truck.  Shelby and Riley had been gone for part of the argument, trying to get a cell signal. When they'd returned, they, and Miss Morgan, had finally changed the darn tire while the three boys were arguing.

"Why are there people here?" Miss Morgan asked, peering through the windshield.

Four unfamiliar cars were in the parking lot, and there was a group of people standing between them.  Shelby leaned over Tyler to get a better look.  "Oh dear."

"What?" Tyler asked.

"Rule 2," she said.  "Since I'm staying with my parents."

"Wait, the one that says call if you'll be out after ten p.m.?" Chase asked.

"Yep, and we are out way after ten, and I didn't call."

"We weren't exactly getting cell service out there," Riley pointed out.

"I'm still dead," Shelby said as the truck stopped and the entire group turned.  There were a lot of men wearing red in that group, plus her father in blue and her mother in yellow.

"Billy?" she heard Dr. Oliver ask in surprise.  "Aisha?"

Shelby scrambled out of the truck behind Tyler and ran over to her parents.  "Mom, Dad!"

"Shelby!" her mother exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.  "We were so worried, baby.  You didn't invoke Rule 2."

"And your phone said it was out of range," her father added, hugging both of them.

"Sorry, we left the dig early but we went the wrong way and then had car trouble that took several hours to fix.  And Dr. Oliver's here," she muttered.

"We know," her mom said.  "His wife got worried when she couldn't find him and sent in the red cavalry."

"Fortunately, one of them is on our side," Billy said, kissing the top of Shelby's head.

"Dude, call your wife next time before she drags us all out of bed to road trip to Amber Beach to save your butt," Conner McKnight was saying to Dr. Oliver.

"Not my fault we were in a dead cell area."

"Yes it was!" Shelby, Chase, Tyler, and Riley chorused.

Jason Scott paused, looking at all of them, his gaze resting on where Shelby was still standing with her father's arm around her shoulder, Aisha tucked on Billy's other side, before turning to Dr. Oliver.  "What did you do, bro?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"You invited trouble in," Miss Morgan said as she approached with Koda.  "And the team is not going to let you forget it any time soon.  Nor am I."  She turned back to Shelby and her parents.  "Dr. Cranston, Dr. Campbell."

"Miss Morgan," Shelby's dad replied.  "Good to see you again.  I trust the box was useful?"

"Very," she said.  "I appreciate you donating it."

"Carter, why are you here?" Dr. Oliver asked the Lightspeed red ranger.

"Your wife called me in with Jason, Rocky, and Conner," he replied.  "I guess she figured you might need emergency assistance."  He glanced over at Shelby.  "Good to see you again, kiddo."

"You too, Carter," she replied, grinning at the man.  Carter Grayson and his wife Dana Mitchell were TigerWolf Charities' main 'boots on the ground' for their emergency response work in ranger cities.  She'd met him several times over the years, and had learned a lot from him and his wife.

Carter looked over the group, then back to her with a knowing eye.  "I think Dana is going to approve," he said.

"I think so too."

"Hold on," Jason said, rubbing his forehead.  "What the heck is going on here? Billy, Aisha, when did you guys get back, and have a kid?"

Miss Morgan held up a hand before anyone could say anything.  "Shelby?" she asked.

"Everyone here is Rule 5," she said.  "Not all at the same time, but yes."

Her father leaned down to kiss her head again.  "She's right, Miss Morgan."

The woman nodded.  "Then, let us discuss this inside instead of out in the open."  She led the way to the museum entrance and to the elevator down to the lab.

"Whoa," Shelby heard Conner say as they entered the lab.

"Most impressive," her father said, looking around.  He watched as the five rangers pulled out their Energems and chargers and let the crystals be pulled back to their holders, placing the chargers back into their slots.  Miss Morgan pulled out the box and unlocked it, letting the gray gem be pulled to a holder.

"Hah." Rocky said.  "I always knew you'd end up with a ranger kid, Aisha."

"Yep," Shelby's mom replied.  "And a pretty awesome one at that."

"You knew?" Jason asked Rocky.

"Of course, it's not like Billy and Aisha aren't public figures, Jason."

"Okay, I think some introductions are in order here," Shelby said.  "Name, team and color."

"I don't know what you mean by that," Jason said, staring at her.

"Rocky DeSantos, second Red Mighty Morphing Power Ranger, Red Ninja Ranger and Blue Zeo Ranger."  When Jason glared at him, Rocky shrugged.  "Jason, we're all rangers, they're all rangers.  Well, except for their mentor."

"Yeah, she's not a ranger yet," Shelby said.

"Yet, huh?" Rocky asked.

"There is precedent for ranger mentors to become rangers," she said with a grin, looking at Dr. Oliver.

"Well, since we're doing introductions, I'm Billy Cranston, Blue Mighty Morphing Power Ranger and Blue Ninja Ranger.  And Shelby's dad."

"I'm Aisha Campbell-Cranston, second Yellow Mighty Morphing Ranger and Yellow Ninja Ranger.  And Shelby's mom."

"I'm Shelby, Dino Charge Pink."

"Koda," the blue ranger said into the silence.  "Blue Ranger."

Chase patted Koda on the shoulder.  "Chase Randall, Dino Charge Black."

"Tyler Navarro, Dino Charge Red."

"Riley Griffin, Dino Charge Green."

"Carter Grayson, Lightspeed Rescue Red."

"Tommy Oliver, and do you really want me to go into my full ranger history?"

"He was Mighty Morphing Green, Mighty Morphing White, Ninja White, Red Zeo, Red Turbo, and Dino Thunder Black, for those who really want to know.  And I'm Conner McKnight, Dino Thunder Red."  He turned to Jason, who sighed.

"Jason Scott, Original Red Mighty Morphing Ranger, and Gold Zeo Ranger."

"Kendall Morgan, mentor for the Dino Charge team.  And apparently a future ranger if my team has their way," she added, looking at Shelby, who just grinned.  Miss Morgan shook her head.  "Anyway, I know why Dr. Cranston and Dr. Campbell are here, as Rule 2 was apparently not invoked, but why are the rest of you?" She crossed her arms.

"Rule 2?" Dr. Oliver asked.

"Call if... out after ten," Koda said, looking at Shelby.

"Exactly," Aisha said.  "And since it's almost two, Billy and I got worried, so we came looking for her."

"Well, I'm here because Hayley called me, dragging me out of bed, and told me that, and I quote, _'Tommy hasn't called, I can't reach him, get down to Amber Beach and make sure he's not doing something stupid like becoming a Power Ranger again'_ ," Conner said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at his former mentor.

"No worries, mate, Shelby made sure that Dr. Oliver never touched an Energem," Chase told him.

"Good. Because I wasn't getting anywhere near his wife if he had."

"Hayley called me as well," Carter said, "but I was already in Amber Beach, since I work for TigerWolf Charities."  He gestured toward Billy and Aisha.

"Carter is our Emergency Response Coordinator for any city we're in with an active ranger team," Aisha said.  "And Dana is our Medical Response Coordinator."

"Okay, I think you guys are going to need to start from the beginning, because I think everyone except myself and Shelby are confused," Rocky said.  "Well, and maybe Koda," he added, looking over to where the caveman was disappearing into his cave.  "What is he doing?"

"He sleeps there," Tyler said.

"He's from the Pleistocene era, and no, you cannot interview him about the local fauna during that period, Dr. Oliver.  But he's more comfortable in a cave than in modern housing, so we give him what he needs to feel comfortable," Miss Morgan explained.

"Ok, so moving on, Shelby and I are still the only ones not completely confused."  Rocky grinned at Shelby.

"I came back to Earth from Aquitar in 1997, only to find that all of my old friends were gone from Angel Grove, and even though I reached out to them, none of them responded.  I don't know if people thought it was a hoax or what," Shelby's dad said, looking at Jason.  "But while I was going to college, I met up with a familiar face in my sociology class." He turned to his wife.  "Someone I hadn't thought to see again, but I am very happy that I did."  He leaned in to kiss her lightly.

Shelby's mom smiled at her husband.  "Same here, handsome," she said.  "And near as I can tell, whenever you guys reversed the spell that turned us all into kids, it affected me, too.  Just took me a while to get back to Angel Grove, and by that point? Rocky wasn't a ranger any more, and the rest of you were tied up with Divatox.  And I had made a few choices in my life that, well, I can't regret the outcome," she said, stroking Shelby's hair, "but it would have made it impossible to be a ranger again, even if it had been an option.  Then I walk into Sociology 101 and there's Billy, looking just as shocked to see me.  The rest is, well, a few years of dating and fifteen years of marriage."

Rocky shook his head at the surprised look on Jason and Tommy's faces.  "Really, guys? Billy owns TUW Enterprises, you know, the technology manufacturing firm that makes just about every electronic device these days?  And he and Aisha are not shy about being hands on with TigerWolf Charities, especially the side that does emergency response planning in cities with Power Rangers.  I see them on the news all the time."

"You never contacted us," Aisha said.

"I figured I lost that right when we pretty much forgot you guys," Rocky said.  "None of us followed up on you in Africa, 'Isha, and we never contacted Billy on Aquitar."

"Sounds like there were ranger issues all around," Chase said.  "And then a lot of years in between just making it worse."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Billy says.

Jason sighed.  "Yeah, I think it does.  Considering I didn't talk to Tommy for the entire year he was a ranger again."

"I really could have used your help, bro."

"We had Hayley," Conner said.  "Why did we need anyone else?"

"I don't know," Carter said.  "If you'd had Hayley and Billy, well, either Mesogog would have been defeated earlier, or you would have had a new menace to deal with as they took over the world themselves."

"I wouldn't let him take over the world," Aisha said.  "I don't see him enough as it is, I'm not becoming a henchwoman just to get time alone with my own husband.  Besides, do you know how many other henchwoman candidates I'd probably have to fight off to stay with my man?"

"Mom!" Shelby said, covering her ears.

"Fortunately, there's only one henchwoman I'd want at my side," Billy said, kissing Aisha again.  "And, frankly, I'd probably just take over the world and let you run it; you'd do a better job than I would."

"Tell me they weren't like this in high school," Shelby asked, looking at Dr. Oliver, Jason, and Rocky.

"They weren't even dating in high school that I know of," Jason said, looking at the other two.

"Nope, not that I knew of either," Rocky said.  "Plotting world domination, maybe, but not dating."

"Billy or Aisha?" Dr. Oliver asked.

"Both," Rocky said.

Shelby's dad just smiled.  "No, we weren't dating in high school."

"Yeah, I notice you didn't say anything about plotting world domination," Shelby retorted.

"Too busy saving the world from Zedd and Rita to be plotting world domination," her mom replied.  "In college, well, that _might_ be a different story."

"I feel like we need popcorn," Chase remarked to Riley.

"Only if you want Shelby to hit you," the green ranger replied.

Chase looked like he was considering it, so Shelby slid out from under her Dad's arm and walked over to Chase, punching him in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Thinking about getting popcorn," she replied.

"I warned you," Riley said with a grin.

"It is nice, though," Tyler said, "to see rangers still being friends, even years after the team is no longer needed.  Even if there were, uh, hiccups in the friendships along the way."  He looked at his team, including Koda, who had wandered back out in time to snicker at Chase getting punched by Shelby.  "I'd hate to lose you guys, and we haven't been a team that long."

Rocky walked over to hug Aisha and Billy.  "Yeah, it's good to have your ranger teammates around, even after you've handed the 'saving the world' responsibilities over to someone else."

"Can't say I disagree with that," Carter said.  "Then again, Dana will tell you I had the good sense to marry one of my fellow rangers."

"Yeah, not doing that, but it's still fun to hang around with my team, even Dr. O."  Conner shrugged.

"Gee, thanks, Conner," Dr. Oliver replied.  The younger ranger just smiled at him.

"You were the one who chose to mentor your high school students, man," Jason said.  "Can't expect them to respect you after that."

"Yeah, well, never again.  If only because Hayley will kill me," he admitted.

"I really think I need to meet this Hayley," Aisha said.  "Sounds like we have some stories to swap."

As Dr. O looked horrified at the thought of his wife and his former teammate meeting, Shelby and her team laughed at his expression.

"Maybe," Miss Morgan said, "we should organize a ranger get together.  After our current team has stopped Sledge.  I would be afraid of the havoc he could wreak on a large ranger gathering."

"Yeah, generally not a good idea to have a lot of different rangers in one location, gets rather messy," Jason said.

"Then what was that mission to the moon?" Carter asked.

"From what I hear, insanity with a dash of luck," Rocky replied.

"How come you weren't there, Rocky?"

He looked at Jason.  "Mr. Swiss Cheese Memory over there called my parents' house instead of mine, when he'd just talked to me the previous week at my own number.  They were out of town and didn't get the message he left for me to call him until after you guys were back."

Dr. Oliver looked embarrassed, but he glanced at Miss Morgan.  "Um, yeah, a ranger gathering would be fun.  After you guys have finished your work."

"Sounds like a party," Chase said.  "Something to look forward to after we've gotten Sledge out of our hair."

"But until then, those of us not living in Amber Beach should probably find a place to stay tonight, and head out in the morning," Conner said.

"We've got a couple of spare rooms," Aisha said.

"Dana and I have a spare room as well," Carter added.  "And a sleeper sofa."

The four men looked at each other.  "You and Jason stay with Billy and Aisha," Dr. Oliver said to Rocky.  "Conner and I can stay with Carter and Dana."

"Sounds like a plan," Rocky said, grinning at Aisha.

"Great," she replied.  "You coming home tonight, baby?" she asked Shelby.

Shelby started to say yes, then glanced at her team.  "I think I'm going to stay here tonight, Mom, if that's okay with you and Dad."  Koda grinned at her, and the others smiled as well.  It wouldn't be the first night they'd all ended up sleeping in a ranger pile in Koda's cave, and probably not the last.

Her dad shook his head.  "Not a problem at all."

The older rangers said their goodbyes, Billy and Aisha hugging Shelby before they left.  Miss Morgan took them back up the elevator to the museum, leaving the current team in the lab.

"So, that's what life could be like for us, down the line," Riley said.  "Hopefully, we won't lose touch like that."

"Somehow, I doubt we'll be able to get rid of Chase," Shelby said with a wink.

"You'd miss me if I were gone," the black ranger replied.

"Yeah, I would," she admitted with a smile, hugging him.

After a moment, Chase hugged back.  "I'd miss you too."  He let out an 'oomph' as Koda threw his arms around both of them, and then Tyler and Riley joined in, the entire team in a group hug.  Shelby grinned and hugged Chase a bit harder, feeling secure in the circle of her team.

"Hey, maybe we need some team rules of our own," Tyler said as they broke apart.

"I think Rule 1 could apply to us," Riley said softly.

"Yeah, I think it could too, mate," Chase said.

"Love team," Koda added, and Tyler nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Shelby said when the team looked at her.  "Rule 1 applies to us to.  But I think we need a new Rule 2."

"What do you have in mind?"

She grinned at Riley.  "Once a ranger, always a ranger.  No matter what happens, if we need each other, we're there for each other."

"Perfect," Tyler said.  Riley and Koda nodded.

"I think we should implement that now," Chase said, "as I think we're all tired and could use some sleep in a ranger pile."

"Agreed," Shelby said.  Koda smiled widely and headed for his cave.  Chase followed him, whistling.  Tyler, Shelby, and Riley put their arms around each other and trailed the other two.  Tomorrow would bring more monsters, more Energem hunts, maybe even more former rangers.  But tonight, their team was together, and as Shelby fell asleep, surrounded by her team, she knew that, like her parents, no matter what happened in the future, she wouldn't change being a ranger for anything in the world.


End file.
